South Ridge Elementary School

South Ridge is starting the Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) program this school year! We will be having a kick-off Pizza Night Informational Meeting on Wednesday, October 18 at 6 pm at South Ridge. Watch D.O.G.S.

WATCH D.O.G.S. is a one-of-a-kind school-based, father involvement program that works to support education and safety

WATCH D.O.G.S. is one of the nation’s largest and most respected school-based, family, and community engagement, organizations in the country. Since the program’s creation in 1998, more than 6,450 schools across the country have launched a WATCH D.O.G.S. program of their own. Each school year hundreds of thousands of fathers and father-figures make a positive impact on millions of children by volunteering millions of hours in their local schools through this amazing one-of-a-kind program.

For the 2017-18 school year, South Ridge will be offering BASE in partnership with Castle Rock Elementary. BASE will be located at Castle Rock Elementary for before and after school services. There will be a bus for students to take in the morning at 8:50 to bring the students from BASE at Castle Rock Elementary to South Ridge. There will also be a bus at 4 pm to take students from South Ridge over to BASE at Castle Rock Elementary. Students may be dropped off as early at 6:30 am at Castle Rock Elementary for BASE and be picked up as late as 6 pm at BASE at Castle Rock Elementary. Enrollment for BASE is all online.

The first day of school for the 2017-18 school year will be Thursday, August 10.

Express Check-In

Parents who have NOT done Express Check-In, please do so. You will use your parent portal username and password to log in to Express Check-In. You can find this on the Douglas County School District Website under Express Check-In (Parents) or by clicking here.

SAC – School Accountability Committee

We would invite all parents to take part in the School Accountability Committee (SAC). The purpose of the SAC is to inform, encourage and provide opportunities for parent and community members to be involved in the planning and evaluation of the school's instructional program and quality improvement processes. The SAC meets quarterly. Please contact Stephanie Pollock (stephanie_pollock1[at]hotmail[dot]com) for more information.

In April, students in 3rd-6th grades will be taking PARCC and CMAS state mandated tests. If you would like to excuse your child from taking state mandated tests, please locate the directions on how to do so on our website: https://www.dcsdk12.org/school/south-ridge-elementary-school. Select State-Mandated Testing>State Testing Excusal. If you have questions, please contact Stephanie Brink, Assistant Principal.

We are proud to be an International Baccalaureate PYP Elementary School!!!

At the heart of the Primary Years Program's (PYP) philosophy is a commitment to structured inquiry as the leading vehicle for learning! Teachers and students are guided by six transdisciplinary themeas as they design curricular units for exploration and study. Students explore subject areas through these themes, often in ways that transcend conventional subject boundaries. In the process, they develop an understanding of:

Internationalism ~ Concepts ~ Skills ~ Attitudes ~ Action ~ Knowledge

The aim of all IB programs is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet help to create a better more peaceful world.

Parents, when your children have play dates or are going home with another student, please send a note. For the safety of our students we require confirmation from both families. If we do not have a note from both families, we will require your students to go home as they normally do.

LIGHTNING DISMISSAL – IMPORTANT TO KNOW

When a lightning dismissal is called, we will put out the YELLOW and BLUE flags by the driveway and the staircase down to the parking lot. If you see the flags, you will need to come into the school and sign your child out from his teacher in his/her classroom. If your child is in a mobile, you can find him with his teacher in the Cafeteria. Please remember to bring your identification with you. If your child walks home, your student will not be released until the storm has passed or a parent/guardian comes to the school to pick them up.

Kiss and Go Lane

Just a reminder that the Kiss and Go Lane is intended to pick up or drop off students without leaving your car unattended or parked for periods of time. If you wish to park there is parking up the street closer to the church.

Parking Lot Closure
The parking lotcloses at 8:50am and again at 3:50pm daily for buses to drop off and pickup. For the safety of our children please do not try to enter during these times.

Thank you for helping to keep South Ridge and our students safe!

School News

Tucked back into the south side of Castle Rock, surrounded by homes and apartments is not only a Castle Rock staple, but also one of Douglas County’s oldest schools, South Ridge Elementary. The school is currently operating in its 45th year. As a designated International Baccalaureate School, students explore, investigate and make connections observing the world around them beyond what is just in their own backyards.